The Rohmediun Crystal

Prologue

“Mother! I’m back from the mill.”

Silence.

“Mother, Father, where are you?

More silence.

Adrielle opened the door to her mother’s sleeping chamber. By the faint candle light, it looked as if Adrielle’s mother was asleep; a little rest from endless work. Adrielle got a wet rag and wiped her mother’s brow.

No response.

Adrielle was getting worried, she hurried into to her father’s sleeping chamber and Grandfather’s sleeping chamber and found they too were in this mysterious coma-like sleep; alive but not breathing or responding to anything.

Now frantic, she saddled up her horse and started to canter towards the palace to get help.

Chapter One

Ahh. 14 year old Princess Aedasti said to herself. Blissful, calm silence.

Aedasti was lying on a sofa in her library, enjoying the silence as she was reading a book on Alchemy when a sound shattered the silence.

“Robin, give me my dagger now” exclaimed 17 year old crown prince Derek. “Thom” scolded Derek, “Give me back the knife…OW!” Derek shrank away from the point of the knife. Fed up, he bellowed “I want my weapons NOW”

“No!” chorused the twin princes. 10 year old Robin and Thomas, called Thom, scampered away into the next room.

“Derek” cried Aedasti, “when will you learn to secure your weapons so Robin and Thom can’t get them!? Honestly Derek, I-

She stopped mid-sentence. Queen Beth entered the Library; fingers gripped tight on her sons ears.

“Now, Robin and Thom, will you care to tell me why you stole your brother’s weapons and why you were in the courtyard with a bird?” The queen did not wait for an answer, instead she ordered,” I want the daggers and I want them immediately”

“But mom” Robin protested, “we were just having some fun…”

“Yeah!" said Thom, “we just wanted to see what would happen if you split a bird in two!

Queen Beth muttered something under her breath then said in a motherly tone, “Boys, give your brother his weapons.”

“Fine.” they groaned, “here, Derek” The boys raised the weapons, hilt first, for Derek. Derek reached for the two knives when suddenly a door burst open in the main hall.

Derek turned towards the door and cleverly fiendish, the twins raced off wildly brandishing the weapons. Derek angrily began to move after them when he was stopped by the shocking beauty of a young woman at the door. Adrielle kneeled over, gasping for breath.

“You…must help…me” she gasped

Chapter Two

Over the course of time it took for Adrielle to tell her story, the city was in a panic. There was a reported of 35 more cases of this mysteriouse illness outside the palace and 23 cases inside the palace. Surprisingly though, all the victoms of this illness, the Sleep some called it, were adults. No children or animals got the sleeping.

An hour later the King decided he should send some soldiers from the army to the peasent village to see if the soldiers could get any information regarding this disease.

“I want a company of men from the army to go to the village!” King Frederick proclaimed.

“Sorry, sire everyone from the army is asleep, come to mention I’m feeling a bit dozy myself”. Everyone from the royal family save the twins and Adrielle watch as the man fell to the floor, his eyes closed.

The King and Queen took Derek and Aedasti aside.

“Listen well my children” the king said, “This illness in not affecting children, you will be in charge of the kingdom once your mother and I succumb to the Sleep. Keep everyone fed and look for a cure” The King ordered his children before exiting the room with his wife. Adrielle, Derek and Aedasti went to Aedasti’s library to talk

“What are we going to do?!” Asked Queen Beth in a panicked voice, “What if the children don’t find a cure, the kingdom what if it falls apart. You know as well as I that there is a chance we might never wake up from the Sleep and an even bigger chance that the kingdom will be left in shambles if we do wake up.

“They’re kids Beth. They can’t do that much harm. Why don’t we just lie down on our beds and have a good long sleep. Lie on your bed and have good dreams my queen.” The King told his Queen.

Chapter Three

During the night all the adults in the kingdom succumbed to the Sleep, including the King and Queen.

“I have ordered all the children to gather in the main courtyard in a couple hours, there are only about 120 of them.”Derek told the girls He was seated at a table eating breakfast with Aedasti and Adrielle who came to the palace the night before.

“Food and caring for the youngest children are the first priority” Aedasti told the other two young adults, “Then we must look for a cure to this disease.”

After meeting with all the children in the kingdom, sorting out food problems and appointing a “nanny” for the younger children, the nanny, a 16 year old girl knew how to handle children firmly. Aedasti excused herself and went into her library, trying to find a book on the disease that left no adult awake.

Is this it? Aedasti asked herself, “Could this illness that has put every adult in the kingdom asleep be called the Sleep-state?” The more Aedasti read, the more she became excited. This Sleep—state had a cure only 120 miles east of this very city! Aedasti grabbed the book and started yelling for Derek and Aedasti to come to the Library.

“Aedasti, you found the cure?!” Derek was ecstatic. He and Adrielle just came into the Library when they heard Aedasti yelling.

“Yes” Aedasti told Adrielle and Derek; “I think I found the cure” she went to a place in her book, “Look- it’s called the Rohmediun Crystal- here” She pointed to the page in her book.

Aedasti set the book on a nearby table and faced Derek and Adrielle.

“Adrielle” asked Aedasti, “Do you know any boys who will be willing to come with us on a quest to find the cure for the Sleep-state?”

“Hmmm” though Adrielle, “Ryan and Sean are both 14, not related though very close friends. They know the surrounding forests, mountains and other nature stuff beyond the border of the Kingdom.”

“Perfect!” exclaimed Aedasti, she turned to her brother, “Derek, go to the village and get Ryan and Sean. Bring them back here so we can talk about how to prepare for our journey.”

“Your royal Highness, Princess Aedasti” murmured Ryan and Sean, “We are honored to serve you and help you”

“Thank you” Aedasti said, her hand raised so they can kiss it, “It is always a good feeling when you can rely on your subjects to help you in times of great need”

“Please” Aedasti told the young men, “Sit down. I have much to tell and we must plan for this journey. First, are you familiar with the surrounding mountains?” Adrielle said they were but Aedasti wanted to make sure.

“Yes we are!” answered Ryan and Sean in unison

“Good, I am going to pack and meet with my brother for a few minutes. Pack, tell Adrielle to pack, and meet me at the front gate tomorrow at dawn.

Chapter Four

“Derek, Sean, Ryan, Adrielle, we are leaving…let’s go!” Aedasti called

“Wait!” two boy voices called, the twin princes hurried to the front gate, “We want to come too” Thom said.

“We even packed our stuff!” Robin hurriedly said,

“Please, Aedasti can we go? We’ll be very very very good…! Whines Thom and Robin.

Oh dear, Aedasti thought, I didn’t even think about them. Aedasti thought for a moment then agreed they could come, if they didn’t play ant tricks. They agreed.

“C’mon, everyone we need to go!” yelled Sean

“Aedasti, you brought your book right?” asked Derek, “The one where it shows the picture of the Rohmediun crystal and tells where it is?”

“Yes, I did Derek. Don’t worry.” replied Aedasti.

The little group of travelers walked for hours through rough terrain. By the time it started to get cooler, the group stopped and made camp to eat and rest.

“Adrielle, come and help me make some dinner” Aedasti told Adrielle.

“I didn’t know you could cook” replied Adrielle. You are very weird, you know that? You commerce with commoners, you help commoners and you cook- a royal princess doing something so normal!” Adrielle laughed a little.

“Just because I am a princess does not mean I am entirely stupid!” Aedasti snapped as she started dinner. “Now are you going to help me or not?”

“I’ll help you” replied Adrielle.

Meanwhile, Derek, Sean, and Ryan were hunting for more food and evading the little tricks Rob and Thom set up.

After dinner the group fell asleep except Derek and Adrielle.

“Come here!” Derek called to Adrielle, quietly. “I want to show you something.” He led Adrielle to path hidden behind a tree.

“What do you want to show me?” asked Adrielle.

“This” Derek replied and kissed Adrielle.

Adrielle gasped and stepped back. Slowly a smile crept up her face, Derek kissed her again and was about to say ‘I love you’ when a giggle told Derek they were not alone.

“Idiot! They will see us” Thom cried to Robin as he fell from the tree above, the twins ran away laughing at Adrielle and Derek.

Morning came and went, the group walked on for some more hours when suddenly they came across a huge, dark cave.

“Um” Aedasti said, “I think this is where we will get the Rohmediun Crystal. According to my book the crystal is at the back of the cave”

Let’s get it!” cried everyone. Someone lit a torch so they would have light and the group started walking into the cave.

Aedasti screamed. “A..Bug!!!” she cried. “I hate bugs!”

“Don’t worry, princess, I’ll kill the bug and save you from your fears” Ryan said. Ryan killed the bug and held Aedasti close to him; Aedasti who was shaking welcomed the closeness and the warmth of another body close to her.

After that incident, Aedasti lit another torch so she could watch out for bugs.

There was a faint glow ahead. As the group got closer they noticed a blue-green crystal the size of an adult hand. Aedasti picked it up.

“This is it” she murmured to the others. “The Rohmediun Crystal” She raised it up so the other could see it. The group started walking back to the kingdom.

3 days later the group entered the kingdom; it was almost in ruins. There was a small fire, the ground littered with junk and food and many children were crying. The group went to the palace; worn out, tired and hungry. Aedasti was reading the book on how to make the actual potion-cure out of the Rohmediun Crystal when Adrielle opened the door.

“Umm, Aedasti can I ask you something” asked Adrielle.

“Of course” Aedasti set the book on a table.

“I think Derek loves me” Adrielle said, “He kissed me in the forest one night and today he gave me this” she opened a little pouch that contained a ring.

Aedasti was surprised; she knew her brother liked Adrielle but love? “I’m sorry, Adrielle, I don’t know what to tell you; I have never been in love.” she said with a mournful tone. Changing the subject Aedasti remarked, “I found how we can cure the adults. We make a drink out of the Rohmediun crystal. The ingredients we need are lots of sugar, water and lemon juice. WE then need to break the crystal into small shards and add it to the juice; then give every adult a cup.

Everyone from the group helped, even the mischievous twins, to help make the cure. Aedasti and Adrielle held the crystal, raised it over their heads and dropped it. The crystal shattered into thousands of pieces. When every cup was filled with liquid, Aedasti added a little piece of crystal into it. All of the children worked together to carry all the cups over to their parents so the parents could finally wake up.

Chapter Five

All of the adults were now awake and well. The King and Queen spend the first week after they woke up cleaning up the Kingdom. After that they gathered Robin, Thom, Derek, Sean, Ryan, Adrielle, and Aedasti into the Throne hall.

“Derek” King Frederick, “I wish to reward you, to reward all of you for helping us. What is it you want to have?”

“Father” Derek replied, “Remember that law you passed a few months ago saying that presents can’t marry royalty?”

The King nodded

“Well I want you to abolish that rule because I want to marry Adrielle.”

Adrielle gasped and hugged Derek. The King smiled and gave them their blessing. Everyone wanted something for their reward but the greatest reward the King gave was his blessing to Derek and Adrielle.